Rod weeder attachment for an agricultural implement

ABSTRACT

A rod weeder attachment for the tool bar of an agricultural implement comprises an arm portion extending rearwardly from a clamp on the tool bar defined by a pair of spaced parallel bars extending rearwardly to a transvese strut. From the strut to the ground is provided a rear arm portion the angle of which can be adjusted relative to the front arm portion. The rear arm portion carries on the lower end a ground wheel for running on the ground and providing drive therefrom. A pair of shanks at opposed ends of the strut extend down to the ground and carry at their lower ends a rod which is driven by a chain mechanism from the ground wheel. Springs allow the arm to lift relative to the tool bar.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a tillage attachment for mounting onagricultural implement of the type comprising a tool bar, ground wheelsfor supporting the tool bar for movement across the ground and means forcausing the tool bar to move in a direction transverse to its length.

Rod weeders are known and are conventional agricultural implements.These generally comprise a tool bar mounted upon ground wheels andattached to a hitch for movement of the tool bar across the ground. Therods are then attached to the tool bar on shanks which extend downwardlyfrom the tool bar with the rods parallel to the tool bar and mounted onbearings at the lower end of the shanks. A number of separate rods canbe arranged across the tool bar to match the full length of the toolbar. The rod or each of the rods is then driven by suitable mechanism sothat it rotates about a longitudinal axis in a reverse directionrelative to a normal rolling direction. Such a device is intended towork just below the soil surface to cut weeds and to lift the weed partsto the surface of the soil where they wither and die.

Rod weeders of this conventional type have been well known for manyyears and have been manufactured and sold in large numbers. However theyhave a number of significant disadvantages, the most important of thesebeing that as the level of the ground varies relative to the tool bardue to any local changes in surface height, the depth of the rodrelative to the surface of the ground significantly varies and unlessthe rod is working at exactly the right depth, its effectiveness isseriously reduced.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,552,496 discloses an alternative method of mounting therods on the tool bar by way of a number of flexible shanks which extenddownwardly from the tool bar and carry the rods. This arrangementtherefore allows some degree of flexing of the rods relative to theground. The rod is driven by a spitted ground engaging wheel rearward ofthe rod.

Generally, therefore, it is well known that the rod weeder arrangementis an effective tillage tool. However the constructions available todate have not made the best advantage of the rod weeder technique and isone of the objects of the present invention to provide an improveddevice for operating the rod weeder technique.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the first aspect of the invention, therefore, there isprovided a tillage attachment device for mounting on an agriculturalimplement of the type comprising a tool bar, ground wheels forsupporting the tool bar from movement across the ground and means forcausing the tool bar to move in a direction transverse to its length,the device comprising clamp means for attachment of the device to thetool bar, rigid pivot arm means mounted on said clamp means so as toextend rearwardly therefrom and so as to be pivotal about a horizontalaxis at right angles to said arm means, spring biasing means connectedbetween said clamp means and said pivot arm means for biasing said armmeans downwardly around said axis, a ground engaging wheel mounted onsaid arm means remote from said clamp means for running on the groundrearwardly of an following said tool bar, said ground wheel being of atype such that its engagement with the ground controls the height ofsaid arm means from the ground, strut means rigidly mounted upon andextending transversely to said arm means, two vertical ground engagingrigid shank means each rigidly mounted on said strut means athorizontally spaced locations and extending downwardly therefrom forengagement with the ground, a rod extending between said shank means atrespective lower ends thereof, bearing means mounting said rod on eachof said shank means for rotation relative thereto about a longitudinalaxis of said rod and drive means for communicating drive from saidground wheel to said rod for rotating said rod.

The device, therefor, is designed as an attachment to the tool bar of anexisting agricultural implement. Thus for example the device can beattached behind a cultivator so that the rod weeder attachment operatesbehind the cultivator.

Each attachment is of limited width and is supported or guided relativeto the ground surface by the ground wheel. The vertical spacing the rodand the ground wheel is rigid and fixed so the ground wheel accuratelycontrols the depth of the rod over a relatively narrow width of theimplement so the rod is properly controlled to the required depth. Anadjustment mechanism can be provided for example by forming the arm in afirst portion and a second portion with a second portion inclined to thefirst and adjustable in its inclination.

Preferably the device includes a single wheel arranged centrally of thedevice, the wheel having an inflated rubber tire so that it can properlyact as a depth control while communicating drive from the wheel to therod.

In addition the arm is preferably arranged substantially centrally andthe vertical shanks are supported on struts extending outwardly to thesides of the arm. Furthermore the arms can be formed as two parallelbars clamped separately onto the tool bar and extending separatelyrearwardly to the transverse strut means.

The device can therefore be attached simply behind any requiredagricultural implement with the depth of operation of the rod controlseparately of the tool bar strictly by the ground engaging wheel.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided anagricultural implement of the type comprising a tool bar, ground wheelsfor supporting the tool bar from movement across the ground and meansfor causing the tool bar to move in a direction transverse to itslength, and an attachment device comprising clamp means for attachmentof the device to the tool bar, rigid pivot arm means mounted on saidclamp means so as to extend rearwardly therefrom and so as to be pivotalabout a horizontal axis at right angles to aid arm means, spring biasingmeans connected between said clamp means and said pivot arm means forbiasing said arm means downwardly around said axis, a ground engagingwheel mounted on said arm means remote from said clamp means for runningon the ground rearwardly of and following said tool bar, said groundwheel being of a type such that its engagement with the ground controlsthe height of said arm means from the ground, strut means rigidlymounted upon and extending transversely to said arm means, two verticalground engaging rigid shank means each rigidly mounted on said strutmeans at horizontally spaced locations and extending downwardlytherefrom for engagement with the ground, a rod extending between saidshank means at respective lower ends thereof, bearing means mountingsaid rod on each of said shank means for rotation relative thereto abouta longitudinal axis of said rod and drive means for communicating drivefrom said ground wheel to said rod for rotating said rod.

With the foregoing in view, and other advantages as will become apparentto those skilled in the art to which this invention relates as thisspecification proceeds, the invention is herein described by referenceto the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, which includes adescription of the best mode known to the applicant and of the preferredtypical embodiment of the principles of the present invention, in which:

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a tillage device for attachment to a toolbar according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a view along the lines 2--2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view along the lines 3--3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a view along the lines 4--4 of FIG. 1.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the different figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A tool bar of an agricultural implement is indicated generally at 10with ground wheels for the tool bar and a hitch for the tool bar omittedfor convenience of illustration but are of conventional type. Cultivatorshanks are indicated schematically at 11 to show that the tool bar is ofa conventional agricultural implement for example a cultivator.

The device comprises a clamp section for attachment to the tool bar 10.The clamp section generally indicated at 12 comprises a pair of clampmembers 13 and 14. Each comprises a plate 15 for attachment on a frontside of the bar 10 and a plate 16 for attachment on a rear side with theplates coupled by bolts 16 crossing over the top and bottom of the toolbar in conventional manner. The rear plate 15 is attached to side plates17 which define a lower pivot section carrying a pivot pin 18 and anupwardly extending spring receiving section 19 which carries a pivot pin20 at an upper end for receiving a compression spring 21. Each of theclamp members 13 and 14 is substantially identical and paced along thelength of the tool bar.

The device further comprises a pivot arm generally indicated at 22 inthe form of 2 parallel bars 23 and 24 which extend rearwardly andhorizontally from the pivot pin 18 so that each of the bars is pivotallymounted about the horizontal axis defined by the pins 18 in a respectiveone of the clamp members 13 and 14.

The bars 23 and 24 are biased downwardly by the compression springs 21which are coupled between the pivot pin 20 and a pivot pin 25 mountedtransversely of a pair of upstanding flanges 26 and 27 on the upper sideof the bar 23. Thus the bars 23 and 24 can commonly pivot upwardly anddownwardly about the axis defined by the pins 18 but are biaseddownwardly by the springs 21 with upward movement against the springbias being accommodated by the pivot pins 25 and 20. A transverse bar 28interconnects the bars 23 and 24 so as to maintain the in common pivotalmovement and so that the clamp members and bars form a rigidinterconnected structure which resists twisting about an axis at rightangles to the tool bar 10 and symmetrically relative to the arm section22.

The arm section 22 carries on an outermost end a flat plate 29 which isclamped to a transverse elongated strut 30 by u-shaped clamps 31 and 32which are bolted through the plate 29. Welded to the transverse strut 30at positions aligned with the bars 23 and 24 is a pair of plates 33 and34 which are shown in plan in FIG. 1. The plate 33 shown in elevation inFIG. 3 and the plate 34 shown in elevation in FIG. 4. Each of the platestherefore extends rearwardly of the strut 30 and together they provide apair of support plates for pivotally mounting a second arm portiongenerally indicated at 35 for carrying a ground wheel 35A. The secondarm portion 35 comprises a pair of two separate bars 36 and 37 whichcarry at their lower ends an axle 38 for the wheel 35. The bars 36 and37 extending generally upwardly and forwardly from the axle 35 to a pairof pivot pins 39, 40 which pass through the plates 33, 34 respectivelyand are aligned to allow common pivotal movement of the second armportion 35 relative to the first arm portion including the plates 33 and34.

That pivotal movement is halted at a required location by an adjustmentscrew 41. One end of the adjustment screw 41 is attached to an angleiron 42 which extends across between the plates 33 and 34 and is mountedupon a pivot pin 43 to allow the angle iron to move to take up therequired location relative to the screw 42. The screw passes through oneleg of the angle iron as shown best in FIG. 4 and the other end of thescrew is attached to a pair of lugs 44 which extend upwardly from atransverse bar 45 interconnecting the bars 36 and 37. Thus by adjustmentof the screw 41, the position of the inclination of the rear portion 35relative to the front portion 22 can be adjusted so that generally thefront arm portion is horizontal as shown in FIG. 3 with the rear armportion extending rearwardly and downwardly therefrom for engagement ofthe wheel 35A with the ground. Adjustment of the inclination causes thetransverse strut 30 to be raised and lowered relative to the tool bar10.

The ground wheel 35A is of a type having an inflatable rubber tire sothat it can run on the ground without causing significant alteration tothe ground and yet it is rotated by contact with the ground. In additionthe contact of such a tire with the ground can accurately control theheight of the strut relative to the ground. The length of the arms 36and 37 can be adjusted as they are formed from two separate portionsindicated at 36A and 36B coupled at a bolt 36C which is positionedwithin a slot 36D.

On an opposed end of the strut 30 which extends outwardly to respectivesides of the arm 22 is positioned a vertically downwardly extendingshank indicated respectively at 50 and 51. Each of the shanks isarranged at right angles to the strut and is aligned the vertical planeand extends downwardly and slightly forwardly to a ground engaging tireportion 52 which is shaped to engage into the ground and move forwardlyalong the ground slightly beneath the surface with movement of the toolbar. A lower rear edge of the shank carries a bearing 53 within which iscarried a rod 54 which extends parallel to the strut 30 and at aposition generally vertically beneath the strut 30. The bearings 53allow the rod 54 to rotate about its own axis at a position slightlybeneath the surface of the soil.

Drive to the rod 54 is obtained from the ground wheel 35A. Specificallya sprocket 55 is carried on the axle 35 of the ground wheel within theconfines of the bar 36 which for this purpose is formed as a channelsection. The sprocket 35 carries and drives a chain 56 which extendsalong the bar 36 to an upper idler sprocket 57 carried on the plate 33.A second idler sprocket 58 is carried also on the plate 33 beneath thesprocket 57. A drive shaft 59 extends from a sprocket 60 on the plate 33to the end shank 50. The sprocket 60 is positioned above the sprocket 58so as to receive the outside of the chain 56 and to define a returnportion of the chain directed down to the sprocket 55. Thus rotation ofthe ground wheel 35A in a forward direction by forward movement of thetool bar causes the shaft 59 to be driven in a reverse direction that isa clock-wise direction as visible in FIG. 3. The shaft 59 communicatesthe drive from the wheel 35A to the left hand shank 50 within which ispositioned a pair of sprockets 61 and 62 one of which mounted on theshaft 59 and the other on the rod 54 with a chain 63 therebetween fordirectly communicating drive to the rod 54. Thus in addition rod 54rotates in a reverse direction relative to the forward direction so thatin operation it tends to throw weeds to the surface of the soil.

The shanks 50 and 51 comprise an upper plate portion 65 attached to thestrut 30 and a downwardly extending portion the angle of which can beadjusted by a bolt 66 within a slot 67.

It will be appreciated therefore that the device formed by therearwardly and downwardly extending arm portions carrying the singleground wheel 35A is accurately located in its height by the engagementof the ground wheel 35A with the ground. The height of the strut 30 thusdirectly controls the height of the rod 54 in view of the rigidconnection provided by the shanks 50 and 51. The length of the rod 54 isarranged to be of the order of 5 feet thus defining the width ofoperation of the attachment device in the ground. This width issufficiently limited that the depth of the rod beneath the ground can beaccurately controlled by the running of the wheel 35A on the ground.

In an alternative arrangement (not shown) the forward arm portion can beformed by a single bar singly clamped to the tool bar. As a furtheralternative, the bars 23 and 24 forming the front arm portion can bespaced further outwardly toward the ends of the transverse strut 30.

Since various modifications can be made in my invention as hereinabovedescribed, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same madewithin the spirit and scope of the claims without departing from suchspirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in theaccompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only andnot in a limiting sense.

I claim:
 1. A tillage attachment device for mounting on an agriculturalimplement of the type comprising a tool bar, ground wheels forsupporting the tool bar for movement across the ground and means forcausing the tool bar to move in a direction transverse to its length,the device comprising clamp means for attachment of the device to thetool bar, rigid pivot arm means mounted on said clamp means so as toextend rearwardly therefrom and so as to be pivotal about a horizontalaxis at right angles to said arm means, spring biasing means connectedbetween said clamp means and said pivot arm means for biasing said armmeans downwardly around said axis, a ground engaging wheel mounted onsaid arm means remote from said clamp means for running on the groundrearwardly of and following said tool bar, said ground wheel being of atype such that its engagement with the ground controls the height ofsaid arm means from the ground, strut means rigidly mounted upon andextending transversely to said arm means, two vertical ground engagingrigid shank means each rigidly mounted on said strut means athorizontally spaced locations and extending downwardly therefrom forengagement with the ground, a rod extending between said shank means atrespective lower ends thereof, bearing means mounting said rod on eachof said shank means for rotation relative thereto about a longitudinalaxis of said rod and drive means for communicating drive from saidground wheel to said rod for rotating said rod.
 2. The inventionaccording to claim 1 including means for adjusting a vertical spacingbetween said rod and said ground wheel.
 3. The invention according toclaim 1 wherein said arm means includes a first portion thereofextending rearwardly from said clamp means and a second portion thereofinclined relative to the first portion and pivotally mounted relative tothe first portion, said second portion carrying on an end thereof remotefrom said first portion said ground wheel and including means foradjustment of the angle of inclination of said second portion relativeto said first portion whereby to adjust the vertical height of theground wheel relative to said first portion to adjust the verticalheight of the ground wheel relative to said rod.
 4. The inventionaccording to claim 3 wherein said first arm portion is substantiallyhorizontal and wherein said second arm portion is inclined downwardlytherefrom.
 5. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said arm meansis arranged substantially centrally of said device and wherein saidstrut means is arranged to extend outwardly to respective sides thereof.6. The invention according to claim 1 wherein in said drive meanscomprises a first chain extending along said arm means from said groundwheel to said strut means and a second chain extending from said strutmeans along one of said shank means to said rod and including a driveshaft extending from said arm means to said shank means substantiallyalong said strut means.
 7. The invention according to claim 1 whereinsaid ground wheel includes an inflated rubber tire.
 8. The inventionaccording to claim 1 wherein said clamp means includes a springreceiving strut extending in a direction upward away from said arm meanswhereby said spring biasing means extends from said arm means to saidstrut.
 9. The invention according to claim 1 including a single groundwheel only arranged substantially centrally of said strut means andsymmetrically between said vertical shank means.
 10. The inventionaccording to claim 1 wherein in said arm means comprises two elongatebars arranged in parallel spaced relation.
 11. The invention accordingto claim 10 wherein said bars are arranged inwardly of said verticalshank means and symmetrically about a central axis of said device. 12.The invention according to claim 10 when each of said bars includes aseparate spring biasing means actuable between said bar and upwardlyextending strut on said clamp means.
 13. An agricultural implement ofthe type comprising a tool bar, ground wheels for supporting the toolbar for movement across the ground and means for causing the tool bar tomove in a direction transverse to its length, and an attachment devicecomprising clamp means for attachment of the device to the tool bar,rigid pivot arm means mounted on said clamp means so as to extendrearwardly therefrom and so as to be pivotal about a horizontal axis atright angles to said arm means, spring biasing means connected betweensaid clamp means and said pivot arm means for biasing said arm meansdownwardly around said axis, a ground engaging wheel mounted on said armmeans remote from said clamp means for running on the ground rearwardlyof and following said tool bar, said ground wheel being of a type suchthat its engagement with the ground controls the height of said armmeans from the ground, strut means rigidly mounted upon and extendingtransversely to said arm means, two vertical ground engaging rigid shankmeans each rigidly mounted on said strut means at horizontally spacedlocations and extending downwardly therefrom for engagement with theground, a rod extending between said shank means at respective lowerends thereof, bearing means mounting said rod on each of said shankmeans for rotation relative thereto about a longitudinal axis of saidrod and drive means for communicating drive from said ground wheel tosaid rod for rotating said rod.
 14. The invention according to claim 13including means for adjusting a vertical spacing between said rod andsaid ground wheel.
 15. The invention according to claim 13 wherein saidarm means includes a first portion thereof extending rearwardly fromsaid clamp means and a second portion thereof inclined relative to thefirst portion and pivotally mounted relative to the first portion, saidsecond portion carrying on an end thereof remote from said first portionsaid ground wheel and including means for adjustment of the angle ofinclination of said second portion relative to said first portionwhereby to adjust the vertical height of the ground wheel relative tosaid first portion to adjust the vertical height of the ground wheelrelative to said rod.
 16. The invention according to claim 15 whereinsaid first arm portion is substantially horizontal and wherein saidsecond arm portion is inclined downwardly therefrom.
 17. The inventionaccording to claim 13 wherein said arm means is arranged substantiallycentrally of said device and wherein said strut means is arranged toextend outwardly to respective sides thereof.
 18. The inventionaccording to claim 13 wherein said drive means comprises a first chainextending along said arm means from said ground wheel to said strutmeans and a second chain extending from said strut means along one ofsaid shank means to said rod and including a drive shaft extending fromsaid arm means to said shank means substantially along said strut means.19. The invention according to claim 13 wherein said ground wheelincludes an inflated rubber tire.
 20. The invention according to claim13 wherein said clamp means includes a spring receiving strut extendingin a direction upward away from said arm means whereby said springbiasing means extends from said arm means to said strut. .Iadd.
 21. Atillage attachment device for mounting on an agricultural implement ofthe type comprising a tool bar, ground wheels for supporting the toolbar for movement across the ground and means for causing the tool bar tomove in a direction transverse to its length, the device comprisingclamp means for attachment of the device to the tool bar, pivot armmeans mounted on said clamp means so as to extend rearwardly therefromincluding a first portion extending from said clamp means so as to bepivotal about a horizontal axis at right angles to said arm means and asecond rearward portion connected to the first portion at a rearward endthereof so as to extend downwardly therefrom, spring biasing meansconnected between said clamp means and said first portion of said pivotarm means for biasing said arm means downwardly around said axis, aground engaging wheel having an axle mounted on said second portion ofsaid arm means remote from said clamp means such that the ground wheelruns on the ground rearwardly of and following said tool bar, saidground wheel having a ground engaging periphery arranged to maintainsaid axle at a predetermined spacing from the ground, strut meansrigidly mounted upon and extending transversely to said arm means, twohorizontally spaced rigid shank means each rigidly mounted on said strutmeans and extending downwardly therefrom for engagement with the ground,a rod extending between said shank means at respective lower endsthereof, the position of the rod relative to the ground being controlledby the height of the first portion of the arm means above the ground,bearing means mounting said rod on each of said shank means for rotationrelative thereto about a longitudinal axis of said rod, and drive meansfor communicating drive from said ground wheel to said rod for rotatingsaid rod, said second portion of the arm means being mounted on thefirst portion of the arm means such that in an operating positionthereof the rod is arranged at a vertical spacing lower than the lowestpoint of the periphery of the ground wheel and the ground wheel controlsa working depth of the rod in the ground. .Iaddend. .Iadd.22. Theinvention according to claim 21 including means for adjusting thevertical spacing between said rod and said ground wheel. .Iaddend..Iadd.23. The invention according to claim 21 including means foradjustment of an angle of inclination of said second portion of the armmeans relative to said first portion whereby to adjust the verticalspacing of the ground wheel relative to said first portion to adjust thevertical spacing of the ground wheel relative to said rod. .Iaddend..Iadd.24. The invention according to claim 21 wherein said drive meanscomprises a first chain extending along said arm means from said groundwheel to said strut means and a second chain extending from said strutmeans along one of said shank means to said rod and including a driveshaft extending from said arm means to said shank means substantiallyalong said strut means. .Iaddend. .Iadd.25. The invention according toclaim 21 wherein said ground wheel includes an inflated rubber tire..Iaddend. .Iadd.26. The invention according to claim 21 wherein saidclamp means includes a spring receiving strut extending in a directionupward away from said arm means whereby said spring biasing meansextends from said arm means to said spring receiving strut. .Iaddend..Iadd.27. The invention according to claim 21 including a single groundwheel only arranged substantially centrally of said strut means andsymmetrically between said vertical shank means. .Iaddend. .Iadd.28. Theinvention according to claim 21 wherein said arm means comprises twoelongate bars arranged in parallel spaced relation. .Iaddend. .Iadd.29.The invention according to claim 28 wherein said bars are arrangedinwardly of said vertical shank means and symmetrically about a centralaxis of said device. .Iaddend. .Iadd.30. The invention according toclaim 28 wherein each of said bars includes a separate spring biasingmeans actuable between said bar and an upwardly extending springreceiving strut on said clamp means. .Iaddend.